The Bum's 2016 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News-Stats !

[StarDust Bum]

NBA BEST BETS

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

IND at CLE 03:00 PM

IND +9.0

O 208.5

MIL at TOR 05:30 PM

MIL +7.0

U 199.0

MEM at SA 08:00 PM

SA -9.5

U 190.0

UTA at LAC 10:30 PM

UTA +5.5

O 197.5

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NBA roundup: Cavs hang on to defeat Pacers in Game 1
April 15, 2017

CLEVELAND -- C.J. Miles missed a wide-open jumper at the buzzer and the Cavaliers held on to beat the Indiana Pacers 109-108 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series.

LeBron James led all scorers with 32 points to go with 13 assists and six rebounds. His teams have an 18-game winning streak in the first round and are 41-7 lifetime.

This one almost didn't happen.

James missed a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left and the Pacers had the ball out of a timeout. Miles, a former Cav who had games of 23 and 27 points against Cleveland this season, broke free and a mid-range shot at the buzzer clang off the iron.

Paul George scored 29 points for Indiana.

Jazz 97, Clippers 95

LOS ANGELES -- Joe Johnson hit a runner in the lane as time expired, lifting the Utah Jazz to a 97-95 victory over Los Angeles in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs at Staples Center.

Johnson scored a team-high 21 points as the Jazz prevailed despite losing center Rudy Gobert in the opening minute. Gordon Hayward contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds, George Hill added 16 points and Derrick Favors chipped in 15 points for Utah.

Blake Griffin scored 26 points for the Clippers, but only two of those came in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul had 25 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds and DeAndre Jordan collected 10 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Gobert went down clutching his left knee less than 20 seconds into the contest after apparently bumping knees with Clippers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Gobert was setting a pick for Hayward when he and Mbah a Moute collided. Gobert had to be helped off the court and carried into the locker room and is slated to undergo an MRI exam..

Spurs 111, Grizzlies 82

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Kawhi Leonard matched his career playoff high with 32 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter as San Antonio used a big third quarter to forge a victory over Memphis in Game 1 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Monday in San Antonio.

San Antonio led 74-64 with 1:53 to play in the third quarter but closed the quarter on a 10-0 run and added the first nine points of the fourth quarter to build a 93-64 advantage. During that stretch, Memphis missed nine straight shots and committed three turnovers.

Marc Gasol scored 32 points for Memphis.

Bucks 97, Raptors 83

TORONTO -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Milwaukee to a victory over Toronto in the opener of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

Toronto dropped to 0-9 in the opening game of a first-round playoff series and 1-10 overall in Game 1.

Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points for the Bucks, Greg Monroe had 14 points and nabbed 15 rebounds, Tony Snell had 11 and Khris Middleton chipped in with 10 points and nine assists.

DeMar DeRozan tallied 27 points for Toronto.

[StarDust Bum]

Utah's Gobert leaves game after getting hurt on 1st play
April 15, 2017

LOS ANGELES (AP) Utah center Rudy Gobert sprained his left knee in the series opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on the first play of the game Saturday night.

Gobert banged knees with Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute. Gobert was setting a screen when Mbah a Moute ran by him in pursuit of Gordon Hayward. After the players made contact, Gobert fell to the court clutching his left leg.

A Jazz spokesman says Gobert has been taken from Staples Center to have an MRI for precautionary reasons.

The fourth-year player from France had to be helped off the court, leaning heavily on teammates George Hill and Boris Diaw as he made his way to the locker room.

The matchup between Gobert and Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was expected to be a key to the best-of-7 series.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Early Tips
April 15, 2017

Eastern Conference First Round
No. 5 Atlanta at No. 4 Washington (TNT, 6:30 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Regular Season (Wizards 3-1)
Oct. 27 Wizards at Hawks (-4) 114-99 (Over 202.5)
Nov. 4 Hawks at Wizards (-1.5) 95-92 (Under 205.5)
Jan. 27 Wizards (+3.5) at Hawks 112-86 (Under 214.5)
Mar. 22 Hawks at Wizards (-7.5) 104-100 (Under 215.5)

-- This is a rematch of the Eastern Conference semifinals two seasons ago, a series won by Atlanta (43-39 straight up, 39-43 against the spread) in six games. This time around, Washington has home-court advantage after finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference. Most books have the Wizards listed as -240 favorites to advance, while the Hawks are +200 underdogs for the series (risk $100 to win $200).

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most betting shops had Washington installed as a five-point favorite for Sunday’s Game 1 at Verizon Center. The total was 209, while the Hawks were +185 on the money line (risk $100 to win $185).

-- Washington (49-33 SU, 42-39 ATS) has posted a 30-11 SU record and a 23-18 ATS mark at home this year.

-- The Wizards are led by one of The Association’s premier backcourts in point guard John Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal. Wall is averaging team-highs in scoring (23.1 points per game), assists (10.7 APG) and steals (2.0 SPG). The University of Kentucky product shot at a career-best 45.1 percent clip from the field during the regular seasons. Wall also pulled down 4.2 rebounds per game. Beal is averaging 23.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. The fifth-year guard, who helped the Florida Gators get to the Elite Eight during his lone season in the college ranks, also shot at a career-high pace (48.2%) from the field this year. Beal made 40.4 percent of his 3-balls during the regular season and 82.5 percent of his free throws.

-- Washington center Ian Mahinmi has a left calf strain and isn’t expected to be ready to play for about two weeks. The 30-year-old reserve averages 5.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocked shots per conteState

-- Washington is third in the NBA in field-goal percentage (47.5%) and fifth in scoring (109.2 points per game).

-- These teams met four times during the regular season. After Atlanta won a 114-99 decision at Philips Arena on Oct. 27, the Wizards ripped off three straight wins in the head-to-head series. They covered the number in the first two wins, but Atlanta took the money in the final encounter. The Hawks hooked up their backers as 7.5-point underdogs in a 104-100 loss at Washington on March 22. Beal paced the winners with 28 points, nine rebounds and four steals, while Wall produced 22 points, 10 assists, four steals and a pair of steals. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a team-best 29 points in the losing effort. The University of Michigan product had two steals and three assists without committing a turnover. Hardaway made 9-of-16 shots from the field. Dwight Howard finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

-- Atlanta only has one starter left from the team that eliminated the Wizards en route to the Eastern Conference finals two years ago. First, the Hawks lost DeMarre Carroll in free agency. Next, they traded Jeff Teague and lost Al Horford via free agency. When a mid-season trade was made with Atlanta moving Kyle Korver to Cleveland, there was only Paul Millsap remaining from the starters on that team that finished first in the East by a wide margin and won 60 regular-season games despite resting starters consistently for the last six weeks.

-- Millsap had another All-Star campaign and appears poised to opt out of his thee-year contract and become an unrestricted free agent this coming offseason. Millsap is averaging 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocked shots per game.

-- Atlanta sent Teague to Indiana to make room for Dennis Schroder, who moved into the starting lineup after averaging in double figures coming off the bench the two previous seasons. Schroder averaged 17.9 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game in 79 regular-season contests. The trade to the Pacers brought back a first-round pick that was used on Taurean Prince, a small forward who averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as a rookie.

-- Atlanta inked Dwight Howard in free agency last summer and re-signed Kent Bazemore to a lucrative $70 million deal. Howard averaged 13.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game. Bazemore averaged 11.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He hit only 40.9 percent of his shots from the field and 34.6 percent from downtown.

-- The big development for the Hawks this year was the emergence of Hardaway. He averaged 14.5 PPG, draining 45.5 percent of his field-goal attempts. Hardaway has been particularly hot of late, scoring 23, 22 and 21 points in a crucial three-game stretch that included wins over Cleveland (twice) and Boston.

-- Atlanta held on to the fifth seed thanks to a four-game winning streak that included the three aforementioned victories and a 103-76 beatdown of Charlotte that sealed up the No. 5 spot in the EaState This became huge when Boston edged the Cavs for the East’s top slot. Now the winner of this series won’t have to face the defending champs in the East semifinals.

-- Mike Budenholzer’s squad went 20-21 SU and 22-19 ATS in its regular-season road assignments.

-- Atlanta owns a 6-1 spread record with three outright victories in its last seven games as an underdog.

-- The ‘over’ has been a monster money maker for the Wizards, cashing at 51-31 overall clip. The ‘over’ is 25-16 in their home outings. With that said, Washington saw the ‘under’ prevail in three of its last four regular-season contests.

-- The ‘under’ went 48-32-2 overall for the Hawks during the regular season, going 25-14-2 in their road games. Since Feb. 13, the ‘under’ is on a 19-8-1 roll in Atlanta games.

-- The ‘over’ hit in Atlanta’s win over the Wizards (114-99) in October, but the ‘under’ cashed in the next three head-to-head encounters.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Eastern on TNT.

Western Conference First Round
No. 8 Portland at No. 1 Golden State (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Regular Season (Warriors 4-0)
Nov. 1 Warriors (-5) at Blazers 127-104 (Over 225.5)
Dec. 17 Blazers at Warriors (-14) 135-90 (Under 234)
Jan. 4 Blazers at Warriors (-16) 125-117 (Over 222)
Jan. 29 Warriors (-6) at Blazers 113-111 (Under 224.5)

-- This is a rematch of last year’s West semifinals won by Golden State in five games. However, the series was much closer than the five-game length suggests. In fact, Portland went to halftime with the lead in all five games of the series. After Portland won Game 3 by double digits, it trailed 2-1 going into Game 4 at home. The Trail Blazers led by 10 at intermission, only to eventually lose 132-125 in overtime. Then in Game 5, the Warriors overcame a five-point halftime deficit to win a 125-121 decision thanks to a 33-point effort from Klay Thompson, who buried 13-of-17 FGs and 6-of-9 launches from 3-point land.

-- As of late Saturday afternoon, most books had Golden State (67-15 SU, 40-39-3 ATS) listed as a 14.5-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 220. The Trail Blazers were +1200 on the money line (risk $100 to win $1,200). For first-half wagers, the Warriors were favored by 8.5 points with a 108-point tally.

-- Golden State is the -7000 favorite to win the series. Gamblers can earn a 20/1 payout by backing the Trail Blazers to pull a shocking upset and advance to the West semifinals.

-- Steve Kerr’s team beat Portland in all four regular-season meetings, but the Trail Blazers took the cash in the last two encounters. When these clubs squared off on Jan. 29 at Moda Center, Golden State captured a 113-111 win but the Trail Blazers covered the spread as six-point home underdogs. Kevin Durant coughed up seven turnovers, but he scored 33 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out six assists. Thompson added 27 points, while Zaza Pachulia tallied 12 points, two steals, three rebounds and five assists without a turnover. C.J. McCollum finished with 28 points, seven boards and three assists in the losing effort. Damian Lillard finished with 19 points and eight assists.

-- Golden State has compiled a 36-5 SU record and a 21-18-2 ATS ledger in its home games.

-- Golden State is ranked No. 1 in the NBA in scoring (115.9 PPG), FG percentage (49.5%), FG percentage defense (43.5%) and defending the 3-point line (32.4%).

-- Golden State forward Draymond Green (10.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG) averages team-highs in assists (7.0 APG), steals (2.0 SPG) and blocked shots (1.4 BPG). Steph Curry is averaging a team-best 25.3 PPG while shooting at a 46.8 percent clip from the field and 41.1 percent from 3-point range. Curry also averages 6.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Kevin Durant, the prized free-agent score for the team that’s looking to go to the NBA Finals for a third straight season, averages 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 blocked shots and 1.1 steals per game. Thompson is scoring at a 22.3 PPG clip.

-- Portland (41-41 SU, 40-42 ATS) has limped to a 16-25 SU record and a 18-23 ATS mark in its road games. The Trail Blazers have been double-digit underdogs eight times this season, going 4-4 ATS with a pair of outright victories.

-- Since the start of March, Portland has played its best basketball by posting a 17-6 record both SU and ATS.

-- Portland is led by one of the league’s best backcourts with Lillard and McCollum. Lillard enjoyed another stellar campaign, averaging 27.0 points, 5.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, McCollum averages 23.0 points, 3.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. Lillard (89.5%) and McCollum (91.2%) are two of The Association’s best FT shooters.

-- Portland is thin on the interior after losing Festus Ezeli and Ed Davis (4.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG) to season-ending injuries. Also, center Jusuf Nurkic is listed as ‘doubtful’ for Game 1 due to a leg injury. Nurkic is averaging 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocked shots and 1.2 steals per game.

-- Golden State veteran reserve forward Matt Barnes is ‘out’ indefinitely with an ankle injury. In 20 games with the Warriors, Barnes averaged 5.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

-- The ‘over’ is 44-37-1 overall for the Trail Blazers, 22-19 in their road outings.

-- The ‘under’ is 50-32 overall for the Warriors, 22-19 in their home games.

-- The totals were a wash (2-2) in this year’s four head-to-head meetings, but the ‘over’ is 7-3 in the last 10 encounters dating back to last season.

-- ABC will have the broadcast from Oak-Town at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Late Tips
April 15, 2017

Eastern Conference First Round
No. 8 Chicago at No. 1 Boston (TNT, 6:30 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Regular Season (Tied 2-2)
Oct. 27 Celtics at Bulls (-1) 105-99 (Under 209)
Nov. 2 Bulls at Celtics (-3) 107-100 (Under 207.5)
Feb. 16 Celtics at Bulls (+1) 104-103 (Under 214)
Mar. 12 Bulls at Celtics (-7.5) 100-80 (Under 208)

Boston has made terrific strides under head coach Brad Stevens, going from 25 wins in first season back in 2014 to 53 victories this season and the first Atlantic division title since 2012. The Celtics staved off the defending champion Cavaliers for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while winning conference-best 36 games.

The C’s received some tough news on Saturday as All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas’ sister died in a car accident outside of his hometown of Seattle. Thomas is expected to suit up for Game 1 against Chicago, as the diminutive guard averaged a career-high 28.9 points per game, which ranked third in the league behind Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and Houston’s James Harden.

The Bulls are back in the postseason following a hiatus in 2016 as Fred Hoiberg’s squad finished 41-41. Coincidentally, Chicago missed out on the playoffs last season with a better record (42-40), but the Bulls won seven of their final nine games and owned the tiebreaker with the Heat to clinch the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago suffered through plenty of drama this season with the departure of longtime point guard Derrick Rose to New York and the arrivals of veterans Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. The Bulls were paced by Jimmy Butler’s 23.9 ppg, while Wade put up 18.3 ppg in 60 games as he missed 11 contests down the stretch with an elbow injury.

The Celtics regained their home-court advantage in Beantown by compiling a 30-11 mark at TD Garden. However, Boston struggled to cash numbers at home by posting a 17-24 ATS mark, including a 1-6 ATS ledger in the final seven games. Chicago put together a 16-25 record away from the United Center for the second consecutive season, but the Bulls covered each of their last five games in the role of a road underdog, including victories at Milwaukee and Charlotte.

The home team won all four meetings this season, while Boston has captured each of the past four matchups at TD Garden since December 2015. After Chicago held off Boston in its first meeting in October, the Celtics picked up revenge one week later at TD Garden, 107-100 as three-point favorites. The Bulls edged the Celtics prior to the All-Star break in the Windy City, 104-103, while Boston grabbed the season split with a 100-80 drubbing in mid-March as the Bulls were held to 26 first half points.

At Sportsbook.ag, the Celtics opened up as -420 favorites (Bet $420 to win $100) to advance to the second round, while the Bulls are a hefty +330 underdog to move forward in the playoffs. Under Stevens, the Celtics have failed to advance past the first round after getting knocked out by the Cavaliers in 2015 and the Hawks in 2016. Boston is facing Chicago in the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 quarterfinals when the Bulls outlasted the Celtics, 4-3.

Western Conference First Round
No. 6 Oklahoma City at No. 3 Houston (TNT, 9:00 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Regular Season (Rockets 3-1)
Nov. 16 Rockets at Thunder (-2.5) 105-103 (Under 218)
Dec. 9 Rockets (-1.5) at Thunder 102-99 (Under 224)
Jan. 5 Thunder at Rockets (-8) 118-116 (Over 227)
Mar. 26 Thunder at Rockets (-6) 137-125 (Over 230.5)

The expectations are high for the Rockets this postseason after winning at least 50 games for the third time in the last four seasons. In Mike D’Antoni’s first season as head coach, Houston bombed away from three-point range by converting a league-high 14.4 treys a game, while averaging 115.3 points per game, which ranked second in the NBA behind Golden State (115.9 ppg).

The Rockets have been eliminated by the Warriors in each of the past two postseasons, including getting knocked out in five games of the first round in 2016. James Harden led Houston to a 55-27 record, which was actually better than the top seed in the East, Boston and defending champion Cleveland. Harden averaged 29.1 ppg and a league-best 11.2 assists per contest, while six Rockets averaged double-figure scoring this season.

Oklahoma City was on the doorstep of the NBA Finals after grabbing a 3-1 series lead over Golden State in the Western Conference Finals last season. The Thunder melted down in the final three games as the Warriors knocked out OKC and that began the divorce between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant dipped to the Bay Area and helped lead already-loaded Golden State to the best record in the league.

However, Westbrook became a one-man show in Oklahoma City and shattered box scores on a nightly basis by compiling a triple-double average with 31.6 ppg, 10.7 rebounds per game, and 10.4 assists per contest. The Thunder managed a 47-35 record in spite of KD’s departure, while finishing tied for third in the league with the Raptors by covering the spread 45 times.

OKC held off Houston in their first meeting in mid-November, 105-103, but the Rockets picked up a late cover as 2 ½-point underdogs thanks to an Eric Gordon three-pointer. The Rockets went on to win the final three matchups, as three of four meetings were decided by three points or less. In the final contest at the Toyota Center in late March, the Rockets dropped 79 first half points in a 137-125 triumph as Houston shot a sizzling 63% from the floor, while nailing 20 three-pointers.

Houston dominated on its home floor by winning 30 of 41 games at the Toyota Center, but posted an 18-23 ATS mark at home. Billy Donovan's Thunder struggled as a road underdog by compiling a 7-17 SU and 9-15 ATS ledger, although the Thunder won in its final two opportunities in this role at Denver and Minnesota to close the season.

The Rockets start this series as -380 favorites to move past the first round at Sportsbook.ag. Oklahoma City sits at +300 to advance as the Thunder have reached the second round in five of the past six seasons. The last time these teams hooked up in the playoffs, the Thunder knocked out the Rockets in six games of the first round back in 2013.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Best Bet
April 14, 2017

NBA Playoffs Day 2

Sunday's NBA playoff action has the other four series kicking off action with the MVP-candidate battle between Russell Westbrook and James Harden capping off the night.

That Oklahoma City-Houston series should be highly entertaining from a pure basketball standpoint, and with the two potential MVP's going at it, fans will be treated to some great basketball.

However, that is a series I believe is better to handicap after you've seen a game or two and just how well each supporting cast is playing before diving in and making a significant wager.

There are three other games going on Sunday though and there is one underdog that definitely sticks out.

Odds per - Sportsbook.ag

Best Bet: Chicago Bulls (+7.5)

The Bulls snuck into the playoffs as the #8 seed and while many in Chicago would have welcomed a matchup against Cleveland (Chicago was 4-0 SU vs Cleveland this year), the Cavs wanted nothing to do with that, tanked away the final few weeks, giving Boston the #1 seed in the conference.

Chicago didn't have as much success vs. Boston this year as they did vs Cleveland, but they were 2-2 SU and ATS, although it was the home team that won and covered the spread in each of the four meetings.

However, Dwyane Wade has already come out and said that this isn't going ot be your typical #1 vs #8 matchup and it's tough not to agree with him.

Chicago often played up or down to the level of their opponents this year – hence the 4-0 SU record vs Cleveland – and now that these games mean everything, bettors should expect the Bulls to bring their best efforts on a much more consistent basis in this series.

All of that starts with a strong performance in Game 1 as catching the 7.5 points they are getting is a little too high. Yes, we could very well see this series become a “homecourt” series given how the regular season meetings played out, but you've also got to remember that the Bulls are the much more experienced club when it comes to the playoffs and with little to no pressure on them as a #8 seed, those two factors combined should serve them well.

Conversely, Boston had lofty expectations thrust upon them all year long and while they definitely lived up to them with a 1st place finish, playing the physical brand of basketball you've got to to have success in the playoffs isn't really up their alley.

Furthermore, Boston earned that 1st place finish by generally doing what they were supposed to during the year; beat up on the bad teams night in and night out and go 50% or better against the top tier squads.

However, the Celtics schedule down the final few weeks of the season was astronomically easy and in the three games over their final 10 that they played other playoff teams (that didn't rest superstars), the Celtics went 0-3 SU and ATS with two of those losses coming at home and all three coming as favorites.

Boston may be poised to be NBA Championship contenders in the future, but for this season this younger team is going to have to earn their stripes and learn some tough lessons along the way.

As we've already seen in the NHL playoffs with younger squads like Edmonton and Toronto, knowing how to pace yourself and control your energy over the course of an entire game is tough in the playoffs when you aren't used to it and the Celtics could find that out the hard way as they potentially scrap out a one possession win here.

[StarDust Bum]

Sister of Celtics G Thomas killed in car accident
April 15, 2017

The sister of Boston Celtics' All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas was killed in a one-car accident early Saturday morning, according to the Washington State police.

Chyna Thomas, 22, died at the scene of the accident on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, Wash.

Isaiah Thomas received the news after taking part in the Celtics' practice in the afternoon, ESPN reported.

The network cited a source as saying that Thomas is expected to play on Sunday when the team opens its Eastern Conference first-round series against the Chicago Bulls.

"We are terribly saddened by the tragic loss of Chyna Thomas," the Celtics said in a statement Saturday. "The thoughts and prayers of the entire Celtics organization are with Isaiah and his family."

According to The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.), Chyna Thomas' 1998 Toyota Camry traveled off the road around 5 a.m. and hit a barrier, which State Patrol spokesman Nick King said "vaulted the vehicle head-on" into a sign post.

Thomas was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the accident and died at the scene, according to the State Patrol.

[StarDust Bum]

MVP favorites Harden, Westbrook get first-round showdown
April 15, 2017

HOUSTON (AP) While everyone must wait more than two months for the NBA's MVP to be announced, the league will showcase the two front-runners for the honor in James Harden and Russell Westbrook when the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder open a first-round playoff series Sunday night.

''I think the league is very prosperous because we've got some great players that are doing things that I don't think any fan has ever seen, or they have seen and they probably can't remember it because it's been so long,'' Houston coach Mike D'Antoni said. ''Putting up unbelievable numbers, unbelievable seasons and some great story lines. It's good for the NBA. It's great for business.''

The Rockets had the third-best record in the NBA and are eyeing a deep playoff run in their first season under D'Antoni after being ousted in the first round by Golden State last year. Oklahoma City is in the unfamiliar role of underdog after reaching the Western Conference finals last season before also being eliminated by the Warriors.

Most expect either Harden or Westbrook to take home the MVP trophy on June 26 after both players had stellar regular seasons. Harden averaged 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds a game- all career bests - in helping Houston to a 55-27 record.

Harden had 22 triple-doubles and became the first player in NBA history to have 2,000 points (2,356), 900 assists (907) and 600 rebounds (659) in a single season.

Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double by scoring an NBA-best 31.6 points a game, with 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists. He set an NBA record for most triple-doubles with 42, allowing the Thunder to withstand the loss of All-Star Kevin Durant in free agency and secure the sixth seed.

Harden and Westbrook are former teammates in Oklahoma City and remain good friends, but neither seems drawn by the hype that this series is all about them. Harden cut off a reporter before he could finish his question about how the focus entering this series is on him and Westbrook.

''I don't really care about the talks,'' he said. ''I just want to win.''

When prodded about what makes Westbrook so good, Harden provided some praise for the fellow point guard.

''Obviously he's talented, really explosive (and) athletic,'' Harden said. ''He just goes out there and plays relentless.''

Westbrook acknowledged it will be ''cool'' to match up against his friend in this best-of-seven series.

''It's a great experience,'' he said. ''Something that we can talk about later on down the line. Definitely, it's good.''

Some things to know about the Thunder-Rockets series.

GUARDING THE MVP

Houston's Patrick Beverley and Oklahoma City's Andre Roberson have perhaps the toughest jobs in this series, as they'll guard Westbrook and Harden. Both teams will certainly employ various tactics to slow down the other's star, but Beverley and Roberson will be the first line of defense.

''Pat is probably the unsung hero,'' D'Antoni said. ''His edginess and what he has to do, he has to guard Westbrook ... he is a big, big part of what we do.''

Beverley embraces the challenge.

''It's going to be hard as hell,'' he said. ''He's one of the most explosive point guards probably to ever play the game. But you know me. It will be fun.''

Roberson feels the same way about Harden.

''I definitely like a challenge, and I like to go against the best,'' he said. ''Go out there and prove we're just as good, too.''

OKC'S REBOUNDING

The Rockets know a key to success will be limiting Oklahoma City's rebounding. The Thunder led the league with 46.6 rebounds a game and tied for first by averaging 12.2 offensive boards.

D'Antoni has been drilling those numbers into his players' heads for weeks, bringing it up repeatedly as soon as it looked like the Rockets would draw the Thunder in the first round.

''You've got to rebound,'' D'Antoni said simply.

GORDON'S IMPACT

Eric Gordon is a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists off the bench in his first season in Houston after five years with New Orleans. Gordon, who has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons, appeared in 75 games, which is the most since he played 78 as a rookie in 2008-09. Gordon ranked fourth in the NBA with a career-high 246 3-pointers, after he hadn't made more than 141 in a year in the first eight seasons of his career.

He takes pride in being a spark off the bench.

''We've got some guys that can make an impact, so we just want to press the gas,'' he said. ''If our first unit gets the lead, we want to (extend) the lead even more.''

This will be just his second trip to the playoffs after he appeared in just one series with the Pelicans, in 2015.

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors ready to start another special postseason run
April 15, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) That chase for 73 wins and breaking the Chicago Bulls' record last season generated so much scrutiny when the Golden State Warriors failed to win it all at the end.

How might have that taken a toll come playoff time? Did fatigue factor in when it mattered most?

Nah, Steve Kerr refuses to think about it that way. Stephen Curry's injury sure did, though. Absolutely.

The two-time reigning NBA MVP sprained the MCL in his right knee when he slipped on a wet spot just before halftime of a Game 4 win at Houston in the first round of the 2016 playoffs.

''Steph gets banged up the first game of the playoffs which affected his whole run,'' Kerr said. ''You can't account for that stuff. You try your best to keep your eye on guys and to keep them fresh, but honestly Steph was pretty fresh going into last season's postseason. So this year we're doing what we can to make sure guys are ready to roll, but you never know what's going to happen.''

Now, the Warriors - who at 67-15 had the NBA's best record for a third straight year - and Trail Blazers prepare to face off in the playoffs for a second straight season after Golden State beat Portland in a five-game Western Conference semifinals last year.

Kerr rested players down the stretch as needed, he mixed Kevin Durant back in after a 19-game absence with a left knee injury.

''We're chasing something, we're not protecting anything this year,'' Curry said. ''... In theory, we're not the hunted. Obviously, we have the best record but we're not defending a championship. There's really no pressure. Two years ago we were trying to climb the ladder again and now we're in that kind of same mentality. It's good for us to go just go in with all the confidence in the world that we've built up this regular season and understand that every round's going to be different, every round's going to be just a dogfight. We understand how important every single game is on that journey.''

The Blazers lost all four regular-season meetings but went 17-6 down the stretch.

Curry was sidelined for the first three games of that series last year before coming off the bench in a playoff game for the first time in his career in Game 4 and scoring 40 points, with an NBA record 17 in overtime of a 132-125 victory.

All of that is in the past, Durant assures.

''Last year's over,'' KD said Saturday. ''Just trying to move on. We know this is a different season, a different team, just a different year. We're not coming in saying, `Because of last year, we're trying to get revenge or we're trying to show everybody what we got.'''

Here are some things to watch for leading to tipoff Sunday:

LILLARD'S HOME

Damian Lillard typically brings his best when he comes home to the East Bay to take on the Warriors, and he fully expects to win this series.

''We feel we can do it,'' Lillard said. ''If we don't, we shouldn't even go out there and lace up our shoes.''

Lillard and CJ McCollum make up one of the league's best backcourts, one that rivals Curry and Klay Thompson.

The Blazers hope to have their big man healthy, too. Portland center Jusuf Nurkic was listed as questionable Saturday after he missed the last seven games with a non-displaced fracture in his right leg.

KD AND STEPH

Portland must pick who to try to stop, and that's a daunting task with the Warriors' loaded lineup.

Durant averaged 29.3 points against Portland and Curry 27.3.

KD returned from a 19-game absence with a left knee injury to play the final three regular-season games.

''The main focus is health, and KD getting his legs back and relatively healthy, so that's a good start for him,'' key backup David West said.

LOPSIDED LOSSES

The Blazers would prefer to forget that 135-90 debacle of a defeat at Oracle on Dec. 17 - the largest Warriors' margin of victory in the rivalry.

Golden State has won the last six meetings overall and 15 of 18.

Portland coach Terry Stotts can look to last year's playoffs for some guidance, though he said Golden State's defense is far better now.

''Both teams have a lot of the same players from last year, styles of play are similar,'' Stotts said. ''Obviously when you add Durant on to the team it adds another potent scorer who fits in well with how they play.''

THOMPSON'S TOUCH

Thompson picked up the slack with Curry sidelined last year against Portland, leading the Warriors in scoring in three of the five games - with 37 points, 27 and 33.

Now, Thompson isn't afraid to say it: The Warriors plan to be playing for another two months.

''We want to redeem ourselves and we have a golden opportunity,'' Thompson said. ''It's a new year. We've got to forget about last year whether we won or lost. It's a new slate and we're chasing that trophy. We want it back oh so badly.''

[StarDust Bum]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900

Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

04/15/2017..................3 - 0...........,+ 3.00.................1 - 2 - 1.20

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

— Jazz 97, Clippers 95— Rudy Gobert hyperextended his knee, a problem for Utah.

— Cavaliers 109, Pacers 108— CJ Miles missed a 14-footer at the buzzer for Indiana.

— Bucks 97, Raptors 83— Surprisingly easy win for Milwaukee.

— Ottawa 4, Bruins 3 OT— Senators even series 1-1, scoring at 1:59 of overtime.

— Maple Leafs 4, Capitals 3, 2OT— Toronto scored 11:53 into the second overtime.

— Anaheim 3, Calgary 2— Flames have now lost 29 games in a row in Anaheim.

**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Saturday was Jackie Robinson Day across major league baseball; Mr Robinson put up with a lot of BS when he broke into the major leagues and deserves recognition, but what about Larry Doby, who did the same thing, only in the American League with Cleveland? No one ever mentions the guy.

12) Underrated baseball record: Most consecutive times reaching base— 17, held by Earl Averill (1962) and another guy who did it in 1883.

11) 26 players on the Cincinnati Reds’ 40-man roster are pitchers; because of that, the Reds are targeting versatile players who give their manager more flexibility within games and also in making players, giving starters days off.

10) You listen to Reds’ games on TV, no hometown homers there; oh they want the Reds to win, but if they play badly, their own announcers will rip them. Much different than most places.

9) Dodgers 8, Arizona 4— Since start of the 2014 season, Diamondbacks are now 17-42 against Los Angeles.

8) Blue Jays 2, Orioles 1— Kendrys Morales won it with a walk-off tater, a much-needed win for a Toronto team off to a dismal 2-9 start.

7) Astros 10, A’s 6— Houston scored 10 runs, despite not getting a hit in the first six innings. It is hard to describe how badly the A’s played in the last three innings- they led 5-0 after five.

6) On February 12, 2016, the A’s to Khris Davis from Milwaukee for minor leaguers Bowdien Derby and Jacob Nottingham.

Derby is a pitcher who was 6-13, 5.59 in the Class A Florida State league last year. He is a relief pitcher in AA this season.

Nottingham is a catcher who hit .234 in the AA Southern League LY and is back there this year.

In a year-plus with Oakland, Khris Davis has hit 47 homers in 161 games.

5) Former Washington Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar signed on with Arizona as an assistant coach, taking the place of Joe Pasternack, the new coach at UCSB.

4) Nashville 5, Chicago 0— Blackhawks didn’t score a goal in two home playoff games this week.

3) Speaking of Nashville, they had 11,097 fans for a AAA baseball game Saturday. Not bad.

2) Our thoughts and prayers are with Celtics’ star Isaiah Thomas, who lost his 22-year old sister in a car accident in the state of Washington Saturday morning. Terrible tragedy.

1— I am a basketball guy, but the NHL playoffs are so much better than the NBA’s version; there is nothing sign sports quite as dramatic as overtime in a playoff game.

San Jose has a player named Logan Couture who to hit in the face with a puck, but is still playing, even though it hurts him to breathe!!!!! Think about that for a second.

While NBA players ask for days off for a mental break from a long season, Couture is playing with a mouth held together by plastic and wire- he probably needs 7 or 8 teeth replaced/taken out completely after the season.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, April 16


Oklahoma City @ Houston

Game 515-516
April 16, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
113.442
Houston
126.724
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 13 1/2
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 7
228
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-7); Over

Chicago @ Boston

Game 513-514
April 16, 2017 @ 6:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
118.151
Boston
127.694
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 9 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 7 1/2
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-7 1/2); Under

Portland @ Golden State

Game 511-512
April 16, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
117.617
Golden State
137.152
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 19 1/2
226
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 14
222 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-14); Over

Atlanta @ Washington

Game 509-510
April 16, 2017 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
119.011
Washington
121.055
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 2
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 5
211
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+5); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, April 16

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (43 - 39) at WASHINGTON (49 - 33) - 4/16/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 17-37 ATS (-23.7 Units) in road games in all playoff games since 1996.
ATLANTA is 78-56 ATS (+16.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 10-7 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 10-8 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
11 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PORTLAND (41 - 41) at GOLDEN STATE (67 - 15) - 4/16/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 98-84 ATS (+5.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 143-116 ATS (+15.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 83-60 ATS (+17.0 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 124-90 ATS (+25.0 Units) in April games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 87-63 ATS (+17.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-18 ATS (+10.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 51-26 ATS (+22.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 11-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 14-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
12 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (41 - 41) at BOSTON (53 - 29) - 4/16/2017, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 2-14 ATS (-13.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-5 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-5 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OKLAHOMA CITY (47 - 35) at HOUSTON (55 - 27) - 4/16/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 55-74 ATS (-26.4 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 45-36 ATS (+5.4 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 177-130 ATS (+34.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 81-55 ATS (+20.5 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
HOUSTON is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 9-2 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 8-3 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, April 16

Atlanta at Washington, 3:00 PM ET
Atlanta: 13-3 UNDER vs. division opponents
Washington: 16-7 ATS in a home game where the total is 210 to 219.5

Portland at Golden State, 3:30 PM ET
Portland: 28-11 UNDER in road games revenging 4 or more losses vs opponent
Golden State: 19-9 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more

Chicago at Boston, 6:30 PM ET
Chicago: 23-11 ATS in road games off a home win
Boston: 26-14 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive unders

Oklahoma City at Houston, 9:00 PM ET
Oklahoma City: 20-9 UNDER after a division game
Houston: 25-15 ATS after playing a home game




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 16

Wizards won their last three games with Atlanta, by 3-26-4 points, but teams played only once since late January. Washington is 3-5 in its last eight games overall; three of their last four games stayed under total. Hawks won four of their last five games, under is 6-2 in their last eight road games. Washington is in playoffs for third time in last four years, after a 5-year drought; they won last two first round series. Atlanta is in playoffs for 10th year in row; they’re 5-4 in last nine first round series, winning in first round last two years.

Warriors swept Portland this season, winning four games by 23-45-8-2 points; teams haven’t met since January 29. Golden State won 15 of its last 16 games overall, win 10-3-2 vs spread in last 15 games- over is 5-3 in their last eight. Portland won nine of its last 12 games to get into the playoffs; they covered five of their last six road games. Golden State won NBA title in 2015, lost Finals LY, added Durant last summer. Since 2001, Portland is 2-7 in first round series, with wins coming in last three years (2-1).

Home side won all four Boston-Chicago games this season; Bulls lost here, by 7-20 points. Celtics won nine of their last 12 games; they’re 1-6 vs spread in last seven home games. Bulls won seven of last nine games to sneak into playoffs; their last five games stayed under the total. Boston is in playoffs for ninth time in last 10 years, but their last series win was 2012- they lost last three first round series. Chicago is 83-81 under Hoiberg, missing playoffs LY, barely making it this year- they’re they’re 3-2 in last five first round series.

Houston won three of four games with Oklahoma City this year; three of the four were decided by 3 or less points, with Rockets winning last three. Rockets were just 4-5 in their last nine games (under 6-3). Thunder won four of last six games, with last four staying under the total. Houston is in playoffs for fifth year in row, making Western final two years ago, but since 1998, the Rockets are 2-9 in first round series. Oklahoma City won 8 fewer games this year than last; they won their last five first round series, but without Durant, they’re obviously not as good a team now.

First round playoff series:
Boston-Chicago
Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5
Washington-Atlanta

Golden State-Portland
San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
Houston-Oklahoma City
LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5

Favorites: 1-3 vs spread
Totals: 2-2




NBA

Sunday, April 16

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Atlanta's last 15 games
Washington is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

3:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. GOLDEN STATE
Portland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Portland's last 8 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games

6:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. BOSTON
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Chicago's last 20 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Boston is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games

9:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. HOUSTON
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, April 16

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday’s NBA playoffs betting preview and odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The defending Western Conference champion Warriors are 13.5 favorites at home and are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall.

The remaining four series tip off on the hardwood Sunday, including the Golden State Warriors who are looking to purge last years NBA finals from their memory. That journey begins Sunday afternoon against when Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers travel to Oracle Arena. We break down the betting angles for each and every matchup.

Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards (-5, 211)

ABOUT THE HAWKS (43-39 SU, 39-43 ATS, 32-48-2 O/U): Atlanta won four straight in impressive fashion before falling in the regular-season finale while resting most of the its key players. The last time the full squad took the floor it put together one of its biggest wins of the campaign, a 103-76 drubbing of the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Center Dwight Howard, who will be playing in his 90th career playoff game on Tuesday, recorded a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the win and enters the postseason averaging a double-double at 13.5 points and 12.7 boards.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (49-33 SU, 42-39-1 ATS, 51-31 O/U): Washington brushed off the slow finish to its season and is looking for a little revenge after losing to the Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals two years ago. "We're one of eight teams that have a chance to advance and we’re excited about the opportunity," Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "I’m looking forward to seeing how we’ll play, and I’m very confident with how we’re going to play. I know we’re going to play with great effort." Brooks doesn't need to worry about effort from Wall, who posted career highs in points (23.1), assists (10.7), steals (2.0) and field goal percentage (45.1) in the regular season.

LINE HISTORY: The Wizards opened as 5 point home favorites against the Hawks and the line hasn’t moved off the opening number. The total hit the betting board at 210, was quickly bet up to 211 and has since faded back to 210.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Hawks - C Dwight Howard (Probable, back)

Wizards - PG John Wall (Probable, quadricep), C Ian Mahinmi (Late April, calf)

TRENDS:

* Hawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Wizards are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 6-1 in Hawks last 7 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 4-1 in Wizards last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Washington.



Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors (-14.5, 222.5)

ABOUT THE BLAZERS (41-41 SU, 40-42 ATS, 44-37-1 O/U): While Damian Lillard was the star of Portland's surge down the stretch, center Jusuf Nurkic was a key piece and helped jumpstart the team after being acquired from the Nuggets. Nurkic, who averaged 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds in 20 games with the team, sat out the final seven games with a nondisplaced fracture in his right leg, and his return for the postseason is undetermined, according to head coach Terry Stotts. "If it’s up to me, I play right now," Nurkic told reporters. "I do my part and I feel better. I make great progress the last couple of days but I’m not there yet, so we're still waiting on that right now. Undecided."

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (67-15 SU, 40-39-3 ATS, 32-50-0 O/U): Kevin Durant averaged 29.3 points on 60 percent shooting in four games during the regular season against Portland - all Golden State wins. He also did not show any sign of being hampered by the knee injury while scoring 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, in the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors developed a solid chemistry prior to Durant's injury and are hoping to find that again in the playoffs while hanging onto the increased production that Stephen Curry enjoyed with his fellow former MVP sidelined.

LINE HISTORY: The defending Western Conference champion Warriors opened as 13.5 point home chalk over the Blazers and that number wasn’t high enough for bettors and he been bet up to 14.5. The total hit the betting board at 223 and has been dropped half point to 222.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Blazers - PG Damian Lillard (Probable, foot), SG Allen Crabbe (Probable, foot), C Jusuf Nurkic (Questionable, leg), SG C.J. McCollum (Questionable, hand), C Festus Ezeli (Out for season, knee), PF Ed Davis (Out for season, shoulder)

Warriors - C Zaza Pachulia (Probable, knee), SF Kevon Looney (Questionable, hip), SF Matt Barnes (Doubtful, ankle)

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
* Warriors are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall.
* Over is 12-3 in Trail Blazers last 15 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Over is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.



Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (-7.5, 207.5)

ABOUT THE BULLS (41-41 SU, 42-40 ATS, 32-49-1 O/U): Rajon Rondo came off the bench for much of the season but re-entered the starting lineup in the final month and looked - at times - to be his old self, averaging 12.5 points, 8.8 assists and 8.5 rebounds over his final six games. Veteran star Dwyane Wade returned late in the season from en elbow injury while All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler finished with career highs in scoring (23.9), rebounding (6.2) and assists (5.5), and he is excited to help slow down Thomas. "I look forward to that matchup, especially what he's done this year for that team. I know it's going to come at some point," Butler told reporters of the potential matchup. "I'm going to make it tough for him. ... I'm going to get beat at times, and I'm going to need guys to be there."

ABOUT THE CELTICS (53-29 SU, 40-40-2 ATS, 39-39-4 O/U): Isaiah Thomas averaged 24.8 points while shooting 53.8 percent against the Bulls - his highest percentage against any Eastern Conference opponent - as Boston gained a four-game season series split. Fellow guard Avery Bradley had his best season with averages of 16.3 points and 6.1 rebounds, although he missed 27 games, while center Al Horford had a dip in many statistical categories in his first season with the Celtics but brings loads of playoff experience after appearing in 74 postseason games with Atlanta. "He's been really important to my success," Thomas said of Horford. "I remember earlier in the year he told me like, 'I'm here to make things easier for you. You're gonna lead this team and I'm gonna make things as easy as possible.' He's been exactly what he said since Day 1."

LINE HISTORY: The top-seed in the Eastern Conference Celtics opened as 7.5 point home favorites against the Bulls and that number has yet to move. The total hit the betting board at 205.5 and has been bet up two full points to 207.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Bulls - No injuries to report

Celtics - SG Avery Bradley (Probable, hand)

TRENDS:

* Bulls are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Under is 5-0 in Bulls last 5 overall.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Celtics last 8 vs. NBA Central.
* Home team is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 meetings.



Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets (-7, 228)

ABOUT THE THUNDER (47-35 SU, 45-36-1 ATS, 37-44-1 O/U): Russell Westbrook led the NBA in scoring (31.6), ranked third in assists (10.4) and was 10th in rebounding (10.7) to join Oscar Robertson (1961-62) as the lone players to average a triple-double over an entire season. His superb performances equated to victories as the club was a stellar 33-9 in his triple-doubles and coach Billy Donovan expects his star to rub off on his teammates in the postseason. "I think he's excited from a leadership role to try to help guys that don't have that kind of experience, haven't been through it or are going through it for the first time," Donovan told reporters. "I think he'll be the same as he always is. As the season's gone on, I really haven't seen a whole lot of change in Russell from the first day of training camp to now."

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (55-27 SU, 42-40 ATS, 41-40-1 O/U): James Harden finished second in scoring (29.1), led the NBA in assists (11.2) and averaged 8.1 rebounds during the regular season and he is eager to compete with the tenacious Westbrook. "He brings it every night," Harden said of Westbrook. "Definitely a team game. Stats don't matter. You have to go out there and try to get as many wins, first one to four. I just want to win." Houston set an NBA record with 1,181 3-point baskets -- an average of 14.4 per game -- with Harden (262), backup shooting guard Eric Gordon (246) and forward Ryan Anderson (205) all over 200 and forward Trevor Ariza (190) not far off the pace.

LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened as 7-point home favorites against the Thunder and that line briefly went up to 7.5, before returning to the opening number. The total hit the betting board at 228.5 and has been lowered a half point to an even 228.

INJURY REPORT:

Thunder - SF Doug McDermott (Questionable, knee)

Rockets - SF Sam Dekker (Early May, hand)

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Rockets are 0-9 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Thunder last 7 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 6-1 in Rockets last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Thunder are 1-9 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900

Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

04/15/2017..................3 - 0...........,+ 3.00.................1 - 2 - 1.20

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at WAS 01:00 PM

WAS -5.0

U 209.0

POR at GS 03:30 PM

GS -14.5

O 220.5

CHI at BOS 06:30 PM

CHI +6.5

U 204.5

OKC at HOU 09:00 PM

OKC +7.0

O 227.5

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Playoff Capsules
April 16, 2017

BOSTON (AP) Jimmy Butler had 30 points and nine rebounds and the Chicago Bulls outlasted Boston 106-102 in Game 1 on Sunday on an emotional night for grieving Celtics star Isaiah Thomas.


Playing a day after 22-year-old sister Chyna Thomas was killed in a car accident in their home state of Washington, Thomas led the top-seeded Celtics with 33 points and had six assists and five rebounds.


Celtics fans rallied behind Thomas, showering him with a deafening cheer when he was introduced.


Butler scored 23 points in the second half. Bobby Portis finished with 19 for the Bulls.


Al Horford had 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Boston.


Game 2 in the first-round series is Tuesday night in Boston.

WARRIORS 121, TRAIL BLAZERS 109


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Durant had 32 points and 10 rebounds in his Golden State playoff debut, Stephen Curry scored 29 points, and the Warriors withstood a sensational day by Portland duo CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard in Game 1.


McCollum scored a playoff career-best 41 points, and Lillard had 34, but the Warriors made the crucial big plays on both ends down the stretch with Portland playing without injured center Jusuf Nurkic.


Draymond Green contributed 19 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and five blocked shots to help last season's second-place team take the first step in what it is counting on to be a championship run.


Durant shot 12 for 20, showing no issues with a recent left knee injury that sidelined him 19 games before he returned for the final three regular-season contests with the NBA-best Warriors.


Game 2 is Wednesday night in Oakland.

ROCKETS 118, THUNDER 87


HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden scored 37 points to outshine Russell Westbrook and Houston pulled away in the third quarter to rout Oklahoma City in Game 1.


The Rockets were up by 20 when Harden came off the bench with about seven minutes remaining. He went right to work - making two 3-pointers to power 10-0 run and push the lead to 110-80 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Harden, who along with Westbrook is a front-runner for MVP, went to the bench after that and both teams cleared their benches soon after that.


Westbrook had 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, but made just six of 23 shots and had nine turnovers. Harden also had nine assists and seven rebounds, and Patrick Beverley had a playoff career-best 21 points along with 10 rebounds for the Rockets.


Game 2 is Wednesday night in Houston.

WIZARDS 114, HAWKS 107


WASHINGTON (AP) - John Wall scored a playoff career-high 32 points and Markieff Morris added 21 in his NBA postseason debut to help Washington beat Atlanta in Game 1.


Wall scored 15 points in the third quarter and finished with 14 assists. Bradley Beal had 22 points, and the Wizards got enough from their top players to offset 25 points from Atlanta's Dennis Schroder and 19 from Paul Millsap. Dwight Howard had 14 rebounds but just seven points.


Game 2 is Wednesday night in Washington.